State keeps eye on town meeting plan: Middleboro clerk says all in order for record turnout

Wednesday

Jul 25, 2007 at 12:01 AMJul 25, 2007 at 2:46 AM

The secretary of state's office is still reviewing the town's plan for Saturday's unprecedented outdoor town meeting.

By Elaine Allegrini

The secretary of state's office is still reviewing the town's plan for Saturday's unprecedented outdoor town meeting.

The anticipation of thousands of voters in an open setting has raised questions about process from the office that oversees elections.

Town Clerk Eileen Gates said she submitted the plan and reviewed it mid-day Tuesday with an attorney from Secretary of State William Galvin's office.

"I told them what we were doing and they said fine," Gates said.

But, the review continues, said Brian McNiff, a spokesman for Galvin.

"The secretary's interest is in making sure the voting goes well and everybody has access to the site and everybody understands the question at the same time," McNiff said.

Gates said the plan addresses the concerns.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, and the gavel is set to sound the opening of the session at 11 a.m.

Plans are being finalized to accommodate 14,000 or more voters at the high school athletic field to decide the widely debated issue of a resort casino in town.

The average voter turnout at a town election is 2,000.

"I definitely expect more than that," Gates said. But, just how many will show up is anybody's guess.

"Some say 10,000; others 3,000 or 4,000," she added.

There will be registration tables for each of the six voting precincts and those will be divided, probably alphabetically by street, according to Gates.

If town meeting follows recommendations of Moderator James V. Thomas and others, it will adopt a secret ballot. Gates said ballots have been printed and are secured to protect against duplication.

"They're hush-hushed, they won't even show me," she said.

Paper ballots would be hand counted in a process Gates said may take an hour with adequate staffing.

Logistics for parking and shuttle buses are detailed in a mailing the town has sent to voters and is posted on the town's Web site, Middleborough.com.

The state Office on Disabilities is expected to inspect the venue prior to Saturday to certify that it meets handicapped accessibility laws, said Judith Bigelow-Costa of the local Commission on Disabilities.

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